I have been busy. Bonnie bought me one of those portable all in one fly tying kits for Xmas and this was an incentive to organise all my fly tying gear, sort through materials and, much to her relief, clean things up. I can now go along to the Tuesday fly-tying nights with just a normal satchel and not have to pack up and cart a heavy wooden fly-tying bench and all the associated paraphernalia. I thought I would add some interest to the upcoming Dunmore outing by only using the ubiquitous woolly bugger as a last resort. With the guidance and assistance of Brian Julian I have now tied a selection of flies that I hope raise the interest or at least amuse the Dunmore trout.

Our President and Outings coordinator David, has been busy researching some interesting fishing destinations for the club to enjoy over the next couple of months. Ever flexible, he has had to change the proposed Ebor outing due to all the accommodation in the area being booked out and instead go to Nundle for carp fishing and hopefully a more elusive Murray cod in the Peel River.

Don’t forget to let him know if you are interested in the Nundle outing. It was one of our more popular trips until the drought put an end to fishing in most of our inland waters. Although the trout population are slower to recover than the ever present carp there is still the possibility of catching trout in the Sheba dams. Don has reported that the Peel River is flowing well and Chaffey and Sheba dams are at good levels. The only negative side is that most of our wives love visiting the Nundle Woollen Mills so hang on to your wallets, fellas!

I was interested to read in the New York Times that fly fishing is the latest “old timey” hobby to gain a dedicated new following. That’s right, the chic way to unwind now is fly fishing. For some of the same reasons millennials recently flocked to bird-watching, this sport — long dominated by “old white men” presumably referring to our collective hair colour* — is gaining popularity with a younger set.

* Actually, it’s referring to the colour of the skin rather than the hair, implying the apparent lack of diversity in the pastime.
J.T., Webmaster

For those who can afford the leisure time and some rudimentary equipment, it offers a reason to be outdoors, a closer connection to nature, an avenue for environmentalism, built-in community, opportunity for creative expression, and a lifetime’s worth of niche expertise. And where millennials go, hospitality brands follow. Guided nature resort fly-fishing excursions are now offered at many trendy boutique hotels. A new Yellowstone National Park hotel has a stand of fly tackles and nets in its lobby, and daily “Fly Fishing 101” courses at its backyard casting pond.

Iain

View/download HFF Flycast, March 2021 edition